Different Twelve
by piper-rox
Summary: A different ending to book twelve. Cupcake story, character death. Wouldn't recommend this fic to babes.When something devastating happens will Steph be able to pull herself back from the grief? and who will be there to help her?
1. The End

_All characters belong to JE and warning, spoilers from the end of book twelve._

_

* * *

__"Do you want to follow them to the hospital?" Morelli asked._

_I nodded again._

_Morelli buckled me in and ran around to the driver's side. 'He might be okay' Morelli said._

Just as the words came out of his mouth the phone rang. He felt Steph tense next to him anticipating what the person on the other end of the call might say.

"Yeah" Joe said flipping the phone open to answer the call. It was Eddie Gazarra on the other end.

"He didn't make it" Eddie said.

_Shit! _Joe hung up the phone without saying anything and looked over at Steph.

"Its bad news isn't it?" She whispered

"Steph I'm so sorry... Ranger died in the ambulance"

All Steph could do was stare out the window. Tears streamed down her face.

"Please take me to the hospital... I want to say good bye"

"Of course, we'll be there soon"

Joe's heart was breaking just looking at her, she was so sad. But there was not much he could do at the moment. He would be there to comfort her when they arrived at the hospital.

Steph couldn't believe what was happening. Ranger was dead. It didn't seem real to her, like she was living a nightmare and she would wake up soon and everything would be ok. She vaguely heard Joe's voice next to her but she wasn't really listening. There was a strange emotion sitting in her heart that she couldn't quite understand yet.

"Steph? Do you want me to come with you?" Joe asked softly in ear.

She nodded. She didn't know what she was doing or what she was feeling but she knew that she didn't want Joe to leave her side... ever.

Joe took Steph's hand and gently led her towards Ranger's room. He stopped at the door.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

She nodded again.

Ranger was just lying there, almost like he was sleeping, but he wasn't. He was covered in blood. You couldn't see it really because the hospital sheet was over him but it had started to seep through. His eyes were shut and when Steph touched his hand, he felt cold. While Steph was standing there, the same emotion trickled through her heart, just lightly, so she could only just feel it but she knew it was there. Steph stood there holding Ranger's hand while she could feel Joe's presence next to her; finally she felt as though she couldn't stand there anything longer. She bent down and kissed him softly on his forehead.

"Good bye" she whispered softly and let one single tear drop onto his cheek. Then she turned and buried herself into Joe's arms and he took her back out into the waiting room so she could calm down.

When the tears streaming from Steph's eyes ceased, she suddenly felt trapped in this hospital and it was making her feel sick.

"I want to go home" she said to Joe.

Joe nodded and led her out to his car.

"Cupcake, where do you want to go?" he asked, he wasn't sure that she'd want to go to his house after the events of tonight but she surprised him anyway.

"To your house" she said and stayed quiet for the rest of the ride home.

When they arrived at Joe took Steph upstairs and helped her undress and get into bed. Once she was under the covers, Joe undressed himself and got into bed next to her. Steph immediately rolled into Joe and put her head on his shoulder. Joe put his arms around her and pulled her close. Steph cried herself to sleep.

**2 weeks later, Ranger's Funeral**

Steph looked beautiful in her black dress as she stared at herself in the mirror. The last two weeks had been hell for her, but luckily she'd had Joe by her side the whole time. The pain was starting to ease slightly and she was sleeping through the night now.

"Cupcake, are you ready to go?" Joe asked softly from behind her.

"Yeah, I'll be right out" Steph replied, turning around to see Joe looking unbelievably sexy in his police uniform.

Joe kissed her on the cheek and whispered in her ear "It's going to be all right... you look beautiful by the way"

Steph smiled into the mirror. It was the first smile Joe had seen in 2 weeks. His heart pumped hard in his chest and he was hoping that this was the beginning of Steph getting better.

When they arrived at the funeral, there were lots of people around in different uniforms. Some Steph knew, some she didn't. Steph saw Tank standing with Lula in the front row and she went over to see them, Joe followed behind her, nodded to people he knew.

"Hey sweetie, how are you holding up?" Lula asked when they reached her. Tank and Joe shook hands.

"I'm ok" Steph answered and for the first time since the event she felt a little better.

The four took their seats as the service started and Joe took Steph's hand and she squeezed it back to show that she was appreciated his support.

Steph cried throughout the funeral, but at the end she felt strangely free, she knew that Ranger wouldn't want her to keep moping around and she felt that she owed it to him to make something of herself.

**10**** Days later**

"Vinnie you can't stop me, I've already made my decision, I quit."

"What am I going to do?" Vinnie yelled, "Who's going to catch those stupid skips?"

"I don't know, hire someone else, but I'm done" Steph said finally and walked out of Vinnie's office, she smiled and high-fived Connie on her way out. When Steph stepped out on the sidewalk she felt happy and she thought to herself; _I'm going to make something of my life, and I love Joe. _She laughed and got in her car. Before she could take off her phone rang. It was Joe.

"Hey sexy, what's up?" She asked cheerfully.

"Oh nothing I thought we could grab some lunch but due to how you answered the phone I'm considering just taking you home" he said with a husky voice.

Steph laughed and said "Nah, lunch sounds good, I have some great news for you anyway"

"Great I'll see you in 20"

Seeing as they didn't actually say where they were meeting Steph assumed it was Pino's, which didn't bother her at all. So she headed on over and took their usual seat by the window.

When Joe walked in he spotted her straight away and kissed her a bit harder then normally accepted in public.

"So" he said "What's this good news?"

"I quit Vinnie's"

Joe stared open mouthed, "So you're not a bounty hunter anymore?"

"Nope" Steph replied with a smile

"I can't say I'm not relieved but are you sure this is what you want to do?"

"I'm sure"

Joe took Steph's hand from across the table and gently kissed it.

"I'm starting a new life, doing what I want to do, not something I have to do for money"

* * *

I'm trying to decide whether i should continue this story or leave it as a one shot, please review and let me know what you think. 


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you so much everyone for your reviews and I've decided to continue the story. I think the story in general will just be kind of fluffy, but that's always good anyway.

_

* * *

Joe took Steph's hand from across the table and gently kissed it._

_"I'm starting a new life, doing what I want to do not something I have to do for money"_

"What are you thinking of doing?" Joe asked, he was still slightly shocked from Steph's sudden announcement, but he looked greatly relieved.

"I'm not sure yet" Steph answered, releasing her hand from Joe's as their regular order was placed on the table. "But I'm thinking that I might stay in law enforcement"

Joe laughed at the thought of bounty hunting being considered law enforcement.

"Hey" Steph said with mock annoyance and hit him on the arm. "I picked up a few skills and Ranger taught me quite a few things so I was thinking I could use my talents"

Joe laughed again and Steph smiled.

There was no strain in Steph's voice when she mentioned Ranger's name anymore; she'd moved on. Some people might have thought that she didn't take long enough to grieve, especially as it seemed they were 'close'. But those people didn't know her and Ranger's relationship well. Unfortunately on Steph's part it had taken such a drastic event like this to force her into realising what she had always known; she loved Joe and no one else. Her relationship with Ranger was just misguided lust. In reality they were friends and nothing more; she realised that she shouldn't have taken it as far as it went and in doing so she almost lost the one person that really meant everything to her; Joe. Steph wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.

Once Joe was back at work and Steph was driving in her car, she suddenly realised that she didn't really have anything to do.

"Oh well; time for a spot of celebratory shopping"

When Joe arrived home from work that night he found Steph in a semi vegetated state on his couch. The TV was on but from the blank expression on her face he figured she hadn't really been watching it for some time.

He snuck up behind her quietly so she wouldn't notice him.

"Boo"

Nothing happened. Steph slowly turned her head upwards so she could see his face.

She smiled widely at him, "I knew you were there... I can sense your presence" she said mystically.

Joe laughed and kissed her forehead and then collapsed onto the couch.

"Rough day?"

Joe closed his eyes, trying to block out the double homicide he'd attended today; a mother and her child.

"I don't want to bring work stuff here... I just want to have a little haven that I can escape too... one that has you it"

Steph smiled, "Ok, but remember if it ever gets too much feel free to breach our haven, cause I'll always be here to support you"

Joe leaned over and kissed her, tenderly at first, gradually the passion heightened. Steph could feel the tension Joe had carried into the house slip away as his strong arms tightened around her.

"Ah" she said stopping him suddenly, she held her hand up as she tried to pull herself out of the unconsciousness that Joe's kisses always sent her into. "I'm starving, can we eat before we inevitably end up doing our favourite past time?"

Joe looked appalled and then laughed, "How can you be hungry, by the looks of this you've been sitting here all day" he said indicating to the coffee table which has scattered remnants of food that has no doubt passed from the pantry into Steph's stomach, or Bob's for that matter.

"Nah ah, I've only been here for about an hour or so, before that I was shopping" seeing the look on Joe's face she added, "What? I deserve to celebrate"

"Right" he said shaking his head, "I'll call Pino's then shell I?"

Steph bobbed her head up and down to indicate that, that's exactly what she wanted him to do.

That night was spent in its usual way; with a lot of physical activity and not a lot of sleeping. So due to all the energy Steph exerted the night before she didn't wake up until 11:00am. When she sat up in bed she suddenly realised that yet again she had nothing to do. She knew that Joe would have left for work hours before she was even close to being awake and delightedly she found a note on the bedside table.

_Morning Cupcake,_

_I realise that you probably won't get this until about 12, but I'm just letting you_

_know__ that I might not be home for dinner tonight, so don't worry about_

_me__ when you make plans._

_I'll be home as soon as possible_

_I love you, Joe_

Steph felt warm and fuzzy inside when she thought about him and then uncomfortably hot when she thought about last night. "_Time for a cold shower"_

Once Steph had herself sorted with breakfast and a good dose of caffeine, she sat at the table with the paper spread in front of her. It was open to the classifieds.

_"Right, time to get down to business"_

She stared at the paper for about 10 minutes before getting frustrated and having to get another donut.

_"I just need some to jump out, what __can I __do that I'__ll like? Something__ that Joe will like and something that will be good for kids... WHOA, hold that thought...where did kids come from?"_Steph put her 3rd cup of coffee down on the kitchen bench and looked at it.

_"It's ok; I've just had one too many coffees this morning"_

But she did realise one thing while she was having a panic attack; first it wasn't as severe as before and this time she didn't feel like running for the door and only returning months later. Maybe she really was turning over a new leaf.

Just as she was recovering from her little panic session for the morning, her cell rang.

"Hey girlfriend!" said the voice before even waiting for a hello

Steph knew instantly who it was, "Hey Lula, what's up"

"Just thought I'd let you know that, that blonde slut Joyce has taken over your skips since you left and she's making a big ass mess with everything... I think Vinnie's about to have a heart attack"

Steph laughed and she could hear Connie laughing in the background as well, then Vinnie's voice came on, he was screaming so loud she couldn't understand what he was saying.

Lula's voice came back on sounding pissed "The pig's got the place tapped again, got to go, talk to ya later" and she hung before Steph could reply.

Steph just shrugged and walked back to the table with the dreaded classifieds and went back to staring aimlessly at them.

* * *

I'm just working on where i want the story to go, so there might be a few short chapters that are just sort of fillers, but i wanted to put another chapter up anyway. 


End file.
